On the day that the Telegraph was deservedly nominated for a string of British Press Awards for its coverage of MPs' expenses, it was good to see Heather Brooke's role in uncovering the scandal recognised in BBC 4's On Expenses tonight.
The drama, by Tony Saint, highlighted the way MPs and Speaker Michael Martin tried to block her Freedom of Information requests at every turn and the entrenched culture of official secrecy in the UK.
It also portrayed Brooke's frustration that the final scoop went to the Telegraph, after it had paid for copies of the MPs' unedited expenses, despite her five year long FoI battle.
Great central performances from Anna Maxwell Martin, as Heather Brooke, and Brian Cox, as Speaker Michael Martin, backed up by a stellar supporting cast did justice to a story once described by the Associated Press as: "It took a sassy American to force stuffy British lawmakers to come clean over their expenses."
It also portrayed Brooke's frustration that the final scoop went to the Telegraph, after it had paid for copies of the MPs' unedited expenses, despite her five year long FoI battle.
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1 comment:
Yes it does look like the person who did all the work has, as yet, got no recognition; whilst the Telegraph - who presumably got the 'list' by luck rather than hard work - will get all the glory.
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